Forming tool



J. s. sTULL 2,010,651

FORMING TOOL Aug. 6, 1935.

Filed May 12, 1933 Ad-www Patented Aug. 6, 1935 UNITED STATES FORMING TOOL John S. Stull, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Applicationl May 12, 1933, Serial No. 670,741

15 Claims. (Cl. 140-113) This invention relates to forming tools, and particularly to a tool for splicing wires by rolling a connecting sleeve into intimate contact with abutting ends of the Wires.

An object of this invention is to provide a rolling tool of this character which will be simple, economical to manufacture, eflicient in operation and of a minimum weight.

One embodiment of the invention contemplates a metal rolling tool for splicing wires by rolling a connecting sleeve into intimate contact with abutting ends of the wires, comprising a pair of cooperating rolls having rolling portions adjacent one end and interengaging gears formed at the opposite end thereof designed to permit peripheral engagement of the rolls throughout a substantial portion of their length. A driving shaft is operatively connected to one of the interengaging roll gears by a gear reduction mechanism. 'I'he rolls and the gear reduction mechanism are rotatably journaled and enclosed in a housing which is designed to provide a lubricating chamber for the driving gears, the outer ends of the rolls being journaled in outboard bearings. A split double ring of suitable material is fitted into peripheral grooves in the rolls to seal the gear lubricating chamber from the grooved rolling portions of the rolls.

Other features and advantages of this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side view, partly inv section, of a rolling tool embodying the features of this invention, showing the forming rolls in normal non-operated position;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the forming rolls in the operated position during the rolling of a sleeve into intimate contact with abutting ends of wires;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, of an alternative embodiment of the invention wherein the bearing portions of the rolls, which peripherally engage, are long in proportion to the sleeve rolling portions and the outboard bearings at the outer end of the rolls are omitted;

Fig. 5 is a front view of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a detail view of a split double ring used to seal the gear lubricating chamber from th rolling portions of the rolls. v Referring to the drawing a two-part housing comprising a recessed portion I0 and a cover plate I I forms an enclosure for a gear reduction mechanism shown in Figs. l and 6, the portion I0 and plate I I being held in assembled relation by screws I2. An arm I3 integral with the portion I0 has riveted to opposite faces thereof a split handle I4, shown fragmentarily in the drawing, for carrying and holding the tool. Journaled in the recessed enclosure portion I0 is a pair of cooperating parallel rolls I5 and I6, each provided intermediate their ends with alined annular grooves I1 of the proper radii for receiving wire connecting sleeves of different diameters. The rolls I5 and I5 are each provided with a series of flat surfaces I8 provided thereon for the purpose of inserting the wires between the rolls at the beginning of the operation of splicing wires to be hereinafter described andremoving them at the end. This obviates the necessity of shifting the rolling tool over the full length of the wire in applying or removing the tool. The inner or left ends of the rolls I5 and IG (Fig. 1) are formed with interengaging gear portions I9 and 20, respectively, designed to permit peripheral engagemen-t of the rolls throughout a substantial portion of their length. The gear teeth of the roll gear portions I9 and 20 extend radially beyond the periphery of the rolls I5 and I6 with the space between the teeth extending inside the periphery of the rolls for a sufficient depth to permit the rolls to freely peripherally engage each other so that they roll and having a bearing on each other for a substantial portion of their length. Along the peripherally engaging portions of the rolls I5 and I6 the bearing surfaces of the enclosure portion I0, in which the rolls are journaled, are continuous, that is, one opens into the other, which permits the rolls to peripherally engage each other. At their outer ends the rolls I5 and I6 are reduced in diameter and journaled in individual spaced outboard bearings formed integral with the enclosure portion I 0.

The teeth of the gear portion 20 of the roll I6 are longer than the teeth of the gear portion I9 of the roll I5 with which they mesh and extend outwardly therefrom to mesh with an internal gear 2| formed centrally on a cup-shaped member 24, the member 24 being solely supported on the periphery or high points of the teeth of the gear portion 20 by the internal gear 2| of the member meshing therewith. A peripheral gear portion 25 of the member 24`meshes with pinion teeth 26 formed on the inner or left endof a driving shaft 21 journaled in the enclosure pornon lo, operativen connected with the right 5 end of the driving shaft 21 is a hand ratchet wrench 28 whereby the gear reduction mechanism may be actuated to transmit motion to the cooperating rolls I5 and I6 for rolling' a sleeve on abutting wire ends in a manner to be hereinafter described, the wrench being shown fragmentarily in the drawing. 'Ihe driving shaft 21 is secured against longitudinal movement by means of a pin 29 fixed in the enclosure portion I8 and iitting in an annular groove 3| formed in the shaft. The left end of the enclosure portion I and the cover plate which house the roll gear portions I3 and 20, the cup-shaped member 24 having the internal and peripheral gear vportions 2| and 25, respectively, and the pinion tively prevent the leaking of grease or oil from the lubricating chamber 32 onto the peripheries of the portions of the rolls I5 and I6 having the forming grooves I1 therein a split one piece double ring gasket 33 (Fig. 7) made from leather or other suitable material is inserted in alined annular grooves 34 provided in the rolls I5 and I6 adjacent the chamber 32. While the gasket 33 is preferably formed as shown of flexible material, such as leather, it may be made of metal or the like, in which case the central web is preferably split in a manner similar to the end portions.

Motion is imparted to the forming rolls I5 and I6 from the driving shaft 21 by means of the described gear reduction mechanism in the following manner: 'I'he hand ratchet wrench 28 is turned to rotate the driving shaft 21 in a clock- Wise direction (Fig. 6) and through the pinion teeth 26 thereon meshing with the peripheral gear portion of the cup-shaped member 24, the latter is rotated in an anti-clockwise direction. By means of the internal gear portion 2| ofthe member 24 which is in mesh with the gear portion 20 of the roll I6 the latter is rotated and simultaneously therewith, due to the interengagement of the gear portion 20 of the roll I6 and the gear portion I 9 of the roll I5, the latter is also rotated, the rolls I5 and I6 rotating in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions, respectively.

In the operation of forming a splice in wires by the herein described sleeve rolling tool the rolls I5 and I6 are moved to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by turning the wrench 28, the fiat surfaces I8 of the rolls being oppositely disposed for the purpose of readily applying the rolls in operative position relative to wires 35 and 36 to be spliced together by a connecting sleeve 31. The sleeve 31, for joining the ends of the Wires 35 and 3B is fitted on the abutting wire ends and the tool or the sleeve with the wires inserted therein are relatively moved to position the sleeve as shown in Fig. 2 between the fiat surfaces I8 of the cooperating roll grooves I1, which are selected in accordance with the diameter of the sleeve being used. Thereafter the wrench 28 is turned to cause the rolls I5 and I6 to rotate a complete turn during which the sleeve 31 will have been rolled into intimate contact with the wires 35 and 36. In Fig. 3 therolls I5 and I6 have traveled approximately one-third of the length of the sleeve 31 and are rolling the sleeve into intimate contact with the wires 35 and 36, as shown by the reduced diameter of vthe sleeve at the left end thereof.

In the alternative embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 the outboard bearings, shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, for the outer ends of the rolls I5 and I6 are omitted and the necessary support for the rolls to overcome the tendencyto be deilected outwardly at their outer free ends during the wire splicing operation is attained by providing extra long rolls, the bearing' portions of the rolls being long in proportion to the portions thereof having the forming grooves I1 therein. 'I'his construction provides a single long bearing portion for each roll and since these 'bearing portions of the rolls peripherally engage each other throughout their length in a manner similar to the construction shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the rollsthemselves serve as a fulcrum, the strain being taken adjacent the inner ends of the bearing portions. In all other respects, including the operationthereof in splicing wires, this latter embodiment is very similar to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Although the described embodiments of this invention are particularly adapted to the splicing of wires, they are susceptible of other uses and numerous changes in construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rolling machine, a pair of cooperating rolls, each of said rolls having a forming portion at one end and gear teeth at the other end interengaging the gear teeth of the other roll, said gear teeth .extending radially beyond the periphery of the roll and the depressions between said teeth being of suiiicient depth -to permit the rolls to peripherally engage each other.

2. In a forming tool, an actuating shaft carrying pinion teeth, a plurality of cooperating forming rolls peripherally engaging each other throughout a substantial portion of their length and having adjacently disposed forming portions therein, each of said rolls having interengaging gears, the teeth of each of said gears extending,

radially beyond the periphery of the roll and the depressions between said teeth being-'of sufcient depth to permit the rolls to peripherally engage each other, and a gear mechanism operatively connecting the pinion teeth of said shaft to said roll gears.

3. In a forming tool, an actuating shaft, a plurality of cooperating rolls having forming portions, said rolls peripherally engaging each other, a gear mechanism operatively connecting said shaft to said rolls, a housing in which said shaft and rolls are journaled and enclosing said gear mechanism, said housing including a lubricating chamber for said gear mechanism, the forming portions of said rolls being provided with alined annular grooves adjacent the lubricating chamber, and a single sealing member inserted in the roll grooves effective to prevent lubricant escaping from the chamber onto the forming portions of the rolls.

4. In a forming tool, a plurality of cooperating rolls, each having a forming portion adjacent one end, each of said rolls having gear teeth at the opposite end interengaging the gear teeth of the other roll, said gear teeth extending radially beyond the periphery of the roll and the depressions between said teeth being of sufiicient depth to permit the rolls to peripherally engage each other throughout a substantial portion of their length, and means providing spaced bearings for each of the rolls at each end of the forming portions thereof. 1

5. In a forming tool, a plurality of cooperating rolls, each having a forming portion at one end, each of said rolls having gear teeth at the opposite end interengaging the gear teeth of the other roll, said gear teeth extending radially beyond the periphery of the roll and the depressions between said teeth being of sufficient depth to permit the rolls to peripherally engage each other intermediate their ends, the peripherally engaging portions of the rolls being long in proportion to the forming portions to provide a single long bearing portion for each roll, and a means providing bearings for the peripherally engaging elongated portions of the rolls.

6. In a forming tool, an actuating shaft, a gear pinion thereon, a plurality of cooperating rolls, interengaging gear teeth on each roll forming a driving connection therebetween, a gear meshing with said gear pinion, and an internal gear co-axial with and on said gear meshing with the gear teeth on one of said rolls.

'7. In a forming tool, an actuating shaft, a gear pinion thereon, a plurality of cooperating rolls, interengaging gear teeth on each roll forming a driving connection therebetween, and a gear meshing with said gear pinion, said gear having an opening fitting on and forming a driving connection with the gear teeth on one of said rolls.

8. In a forming tool, an actuating shaft, a gear pinion thereon, a plurality of cooperating rolls peripherally engaging each other throughout a substantial portion of their length, interengaging gear teeth on each roll forming a driving connection therebetween, the pitch diameter of said gear teeth substantially coinciding with the line of peripheral engagement of said rolls, a gear meshing with said gear pinion, and an internal gear coaxial with and on said gear meshing with the gear teeth on one of said rolls.

9. In a forming tool, an actuating shaft, a gear pinion thereon, a plurality of parallel rolls peripherally engaging each other throughout a substantial portion of their length, each roll provided gear meshing witlrsaidl gear pinion, and an intermalI gear coaxial `with and on said gear meshing withthe, gear teeth on one of said rolls.

'10; In a `rolling tool, anactuating shaft, a gear pinion. thereoma pair Aof cooperating rolls peripherallyv engaging each other throughout a substantial lportion of their length, interengaging gear teetlion each roll forming a driving connection therebetween, the pitch diameter of said gear teeth substantially coinciding with the line of peripheral engagement of said rolls, the gear teeth on one of said rolls extending longitudinally from the gear rkteeth on the other roll, a gear meshing with said gear pinion, and an internal gear coaxial with and on said gear meshing with the extending gear teeth of said roll.

11. In a forming tool, an actuating shaft, a plurality of adjacent cooperating rolls each having a forming portion at one end, means on the non-forming end of the rolls for rotating the rolls when said actuating shaft is rotated, said rolls being grooved between the forming and nonforming ends, and an oil seal comprising a nonrotating sealing washer fitted into lsaid grooves.

12. In a forming tool, an actuating shaft, a plurality of adjacent cooperating rolls each having a forming portion at one end, means on the non-forming end of the rolls for rotating the rollsl when said actuating shaft is rotated, said rolls being grooved between the forming and nonforming ends, and an oil seal comprising an 8- shaped sealing Washer fitted into said grooves.

13. In a forming tool, a pair of forming rolls, respective bearings for said rolls, the axes of said rolls being fixed relative to each other and having respectively bearing portions closely adjacent to each other, interengaging gear teeth formed on said portions, said gear teeth extending beyond the periphery of said respective portions and the depressions between the teeth being of suicient depth to permit the portions to lie closely adjacent to each other.

14. In a forming tool, a pair of forming rolls, respective bearings for said rolls, the axes of said rolls being fixed relative to each other and having respectively bearing portions closely adjacent to each other, interengaging gear teeth formed on said portions, said gear teeth extending beyond the periphery of said respective portions and the depressions between the teeth being substantial depth within the periphery of said portion.

JOHN S. S'I'ULL. 

